ESPN 98.1 FM – 850 AM WRUF ESPN 98.1 FM – 850 AM WRUF
The NFL conference championships are set, with four teams left to fight for the Lombardi Trophy. The AFC Championship will feature the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and the No. 1 seed Baltimore Ravens. In the NFC, the up-and-coming Detroit Lions will travel to San Francisco to face the Super Bowl favorite 49ers.
AFC Championship Game: (3) Chiefs @ (1) Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens were the only team to win by more than one possession in the divisional round, pulling away after halftime to beat the Houston Texans, 34-10. Current MVP favorite Lamar Jackson was fantastic, accounting for four total touchdowns and over 250 total yards, with 100 of those coming on the ground. The Ravens defense played great as well, allowing just three points to C.J. Stroud and the explosive Houston offense.
While it was an impressive win, and just the second playoff win of his career, Lamar Jackson remains focused in preparation for his first ever conference championship game.
The Kansas City Chiefs await Jackson and the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game. This will be the Chiefs’ sixth consecutive trip to the conference championship, but the first on the road in the Mahomes era. It will be just the second road playoff game of Patrick Mahomes‘ career.
The first was Sunday in Buffalo, where he led the Chiefs to a 27-24 win over the Bills. Mahomes seemed unbothered by the hostile environment, throwing for 215 yards and two touchdowns.
While playing a road playoff game can be a nightmare for many QBs, Mahomes saw the game in a different light.
The Matchup
Mahomes and the offense will face their toughest challenge of the year at Baltimore, against a stellar Ravens defense. The Ravens rank first in the league in scoring defense, allowing just over 16 points per game. They also lead the league in sacks and are third in interceptions. This will pose a huge threat to the Chiefs offense, which throws the ball more than almost anyone in the league.
For the Chiefs offense to have success, they will need to stay balanced, much like they did against the Bills. While it’s a great unit overall, the Ravens defense ranks middle of the pack in rushing yards allowed. Running back Isiah Pacheco and the ground game should look to get going early and often, especially against a Ravens team that runs the ball and keeps possession better than most teams.
On the other side of the ball, Kansas City will have to prepare for an elite rushing attack from the Ravens. Baltimore is ranked No. 1 in the NFL in both rushing yards and rush attempts per game. The Chiefs gave up 182 rushing yards to the Bills, with Josh Allen accounting for 72 of them. Kansas City will look to flip the script against Baltimore next week and slow down the elusive Lamar Jackson and the Ravens running game.
NFC Championship Game: (3) Lions @ (1) 49ers
In the Wild Card, the Detroit Lions won their first playoff game since 1992.
Now, they are in the NFC Championship Game after beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the divisional round. The Lions got on the board first, but Baker Mayfield and the Bucs continued to answer. A pair of fourth quarter touchdowns and an interception by linebacker Derrick Barnes secured the win for Detroit.
Their opponent in the conference championship is the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers defeated the Green Bay Packers 24-21 in the divisional round. The Packers gave the Niners all they could handle, leading for most of the second half. A Christian McCaffrey touchdown with just over 1 minute to go gave the 49ers the lead. Dre Greenlaw sealed the game on the ensuing Green Bay possession with an interception.
Although it wasn’t a perfect game, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy knows that it’s important to put the mistakes behind them in preparation for the Lions.
The Matchup
The Lions’ secondary has been a problem all year, and one that the 49ers may try to take advantage of. While the Niners are normally considered a ground-and-pound, physical football team, they have all the weapons and more to be a prolific passing offense. All season, Brock Purdy and company have shown the ability to air it out, averaging over 250 passing yards per game. This is a nightmare matchup for the Lions, who give up the second-most receiving yards per game in the NFL.
With a good rush defense in Detroit, the 49ers should look to lean more on Purdy and the passing game in this one.
On the defensive side, the 49ers have been one of the best units all season. However, if there is a weak spot on this 49ers team, it’s also in the secondary.
The Lions offense has been great as well, being able to run and pass the ball efficiently against almost everyone. With a tough 49ers’ front seven, expect Detroit to attack the secondary. First team All-Pro Amon-Ra St. Brown and rookie tight end Sam LaPorta figure to be key targets for Jared Goff and the offense, which ranks third in the league in passing yards per game.
While this season has made for a great underdog story in Detroit, head coach Dan Campbell was confident all along that his team would be in this position.
The NFL conference championships are both slated for Sunday, with the NFC Championship game set to kick off at 6:30, following the AFC Championship Game at 3:00.
